Date: Sept. 14, 2015Chinese Academy of Sciences and Royal Society to Join in Convening International Summit on Human Gene Editing; Organizing Committee Named

WASHINGTON – The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Royal Society (the science academy of the U.K.) are joining the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in co-hosting an international summit on human gene editing to be held December 1-3 in Washington, D.C. An organizing committee has been appointed to develop an agenda for the summit, which will bring together experts from a variety of disciplines to discuss scientific, medical, ethical, and governance issues associated with advances in human gene-editing research.

In May, the U.S. Academies launched a major initiative to inform decision making related to new gene-editing technologies that could lead to promising, novel ways to treat disease but that also have given rise to concerns, particularly about their potential use to modify the human germline. In addition to the summit, the initiative will include a comprehensive study of human gene editing by a separate committee, which will issue a report next year with recommendations to guide the responsible use of such research.

"Human gene editing offers great promise for improving human health and well-being but it also raises significant ethical and societal issues," said Royal Society President Paul Nurse. "It is vital that we have a well-informed international debate about the potential benefits and risks, and this summit can hopefully set the tone for that discussion."

Chinese Academy of Sciences President Chunli Bai said, "Both Chinese scientists and the government are aware of the pros and cons of human gene editing. CAS scientists have organized a panel discussion and coordinated with related government agencies for regulatory policies on this issue. We would like to work together with international communities for the proper regulation and application of such technology."

"We are very pleased that our counterparts in China and the U.K. are joining us in this effort," said NAS President Ralph J. Cicerone and NAM President Victor J. Dzau in a joint statement. "Their co-hosting of the summit reflects a growing recognition among global scientific and medical communities that we need to work together to develop a better understanding of the implications of advances in human gene editing so that more informed decisions about the use of this research can be made worldwide."

The summit planning committee is being chaired by Nobel laureate David Baltimore, president emeritus and Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. A full committee roster follows. For updates on the summit agenda and a description of issues to be addressed, visit http://nationalacademies.org/gene-editing.